Establishment of a Kindergarten in Lohkva
Luunja
Eesti
Estonia
A modern kindergarten was built in the village of Lohkva, Luunja Municipality, in response to growing demand for early childhood education. The facility accommodates up to 133 children and offers a creative, supportive, and development-oriented learning environment. The project helps reduce waiting lists, supports local families, and creates nearly 33 new jobs. Start date: 2019 / End date: 2021/ Total project budget: 2,325,960.00 EUR / ERDF contribution: 1,000,000.00 EUR / Human Resources: Approximately 33 new positions created for daily operation; project involved municipal staff, educators, construction experts, and administrators/ Key stakeholders: Luunja Municipality main project coordinator; Educational experts and kindergarten staff contributed to design and pedagogy; Architects and construction companies responsible for planning and building; Local residents and families consulted during needs assessment; European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) financial co-funding
Challenges and Solutions
In recent years, Luunja Municipality has experienced steady population growth an increase of 750 residents between 2017 and 2020. Its proximity to Tartu has made it an attractive location, resulting in a construction boom and rising demand for family services. A significant portion of the new residents are families with children, which created a critical shortage of kindergarten places. At the time of planning, over 100 children registered in the municipality were without access to local kindergartens. The strategy aimed to address this challenge by building a modern kindergarten in Lohkva. The objective was to increase access to early childhood education, support local families, and provide a high-quality, child-friendly, and sustainable environment. The kindergarten offers places for up to 133 children in seven group units and includes 2,066.9 m of indoor space.
The projects strengths lie in its community-oriented approach, use of sustainable building principles, and creation of new local jobs. The strategy was implemented through a coordinated effort between municipal authorities, education experts, and private contractors. Funding came from both ERDF and local resources.
Enabling conditions included political support and clearly identified community needs. Challenges included rising construction costs and material delays during the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite these, the project was delivered on time and achieved its goals
Results and impact
The project created 133 kindergarten places and 33 new jobs. Waiting lists in the municipality were significantly reduced, and the facility opened on time and within budget.
Recommendations for other cities
This strategy offers a scalable model for other urban-rural municipalities facing similar growth challenges. Key recommendations include early community engagement, securing diverse funding sources, and incorporating sustainability from the planning stage. The project highlights how infrastructure can directly support social inclusion and education.
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About this resource
The European Urban Initiative is an essential tool of the urban dimension of Cohesion Policy for the 2021-2027 programming period. The initiative established by the European Union supports cities of all sizes, to build their capacity and knowledge, to support innovation and develop transferable and scalable innovative solutions to urban challenges of EU relevance.
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